Jacksonville Jaguars: who will be the starting quarterback?

The Jaguars players and coaches have expressed frustration about Blake Bortles. In practice, Bortles has overthrown multiple players and not looked like he has taken many steps forward after a terrible 2016 season. In preseason games, the Jaguars have not scored a touchdown with Bortles at quarterback. It’s time for the Jaguars front office to move on from Bortles.

The Jaguars have all the pieces surrounding Bortles, but they are now considering starting Chad Henne over Bortles. The Jaguars could also acquire a new quarterback before the season via a trade or a free agent signing. Here are a few players the Jaguars could acquire:

The Patriots will have a high price for Garoppolo, who has proven he is a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL. The Patriots front office understands Tom Brady could get injured or retire at some point over the next few seasons. The Patriots should keep Garoppolo, but if the Jaguars could give up a few draft picks for him, then he would be worth acquiring before the start of the season.

The Bengals backup quarterback apparently has been on the trade market, but the Bengals want a second-round pick for him. McCarron is a winner, as he won three BCS National Championships at Alabama, and he was the starting quarterback for back-to-back championships. The Jaguars could use a guy that is used to winning as their starting quarterback. The Jaguars should be willing to give up a few draft picks for him.

McCoy has played for multiple teams throughout his career, and he is entering his eighth season in the NFL. He is expected to backup Kirk Cousins in Washington, but the Jaguars could trade for McCoy. He started for the Cleveland Browns early in his career, but he quickly became a backup quarterback after playing average at the quarterback position. He would provide legitimate competition to Bortles and Henne.

As the backup for Aaron Rodgers, Hundley will never get a chance to be the starter in Green Bay for the foreseeable future. Hundley played college football at UCLA, and he is entering his third season with the Packers. He has only played in four games over the last two seasons, and he could be a starter in the NFL. The Jaguars should consider acquiring him.

These three players are all free agents, and Kaepernick and Manziel bring a lot of negative attention NFL franchises. Griffin is a good quarterback, but he is injury-prone. Signing any of these guys would give Bortles competition throughout the season. Though these guys are all options, the Jaguars should be careful who they sign.

The Jaguars need a winner at quarterback, and even though Bortles has had many chances to prove he could be a winner, he has failed many times. This Jaguars team has too much talent to waste on another season with Bortles at quarterback. Chad Henne might be a temporary replacement, but the Jaguars need to find a long-term solution at quarterback. The front office needs to make a move now.

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About Evan Whitmoyer

I am currently a sophomore at Liberty University. I enjoy football, basketball, and tennis. I am studying sport management and business. I am a huge Penn State fan, and I love talking sports. I cover the Atlanta Hawks, Baltimore Orioles, and Jacksonville Jaguars. You can follow me on Twitter @EvanWhitmoyer